She said she wasn't sure if a regular audience would be as open-minded or have the same mood as a spoken word audience would.

However, Damasco said she felt a positive reaction from the crowd and the judges.

"I really appreciated what everybody had to offer, and I think it was such a cultivating and loving environment," she said. "It was very encouraging in a sense where the criticism that the judges gave was really helpful."

The first place prize of $1,000 went to the all-female A Capella group, the ASU Pitchforks, who were voted by the audience as ASU's most talented act.

With the winning cash, McKenzie Hayes, a music therapy junior and president of the group, said the team wants to finish producing an album the group has had in the works for the last two years.

"The funding kind of fell through at one point," she said, "So we're hoping now with this money we're going to be able to produce the album."

Hayes said she was proud of her team after what she described as a "rough couple of years".

"We mesh really well together personality-wise and that helps our sound mesh so much better," said Hayes. "I think a lot of girls just needed that reassurance that what we are doing sounds good and it is powerful and it is making an impact on a ton of people."

Performing in front of a large crowd is a daunting task regardless of the chosen talent.

"The bravery it requires to stand amongst your peers in the dark and do your thing was quite marvelous," Jennings-Roggensack said.